17 tourists rescued after 16-hour ordeal on Gandhamardan Hills

Seventeen tourists, including three children from Chhattisgarh, were successfully rescued on Thursday after being stranded for over 16 hours atop the Gandhamardan Hills in western Odisha due to inclement weather.

According to officials, the group was trekking from Harishankar to Nrusinghanath when they lost their way amidst heavy rainfall. The tourists ended up nearly 1.5 kilometers away from the Kapildhara waterfall, which is located about 5 kilometers from the Nrusinghanath temple.

After receiving information about the missing tourists late last night, a 40-member rescue team—comprising police personnel, the fire services, forest department staff, and local temple workers—was quickly mobilized. The team, under the leadership of the local Forest Ranger, traced the tourists using their mobile phone locations and reached the site despite rough terrain and weather challenges.

The rescue operation continued through the night and early morning hours. All 17 individuals were safely brought down from the hill and are reported to be in stable condition. Forest and district officials praised the coordination among departments and credited timely action for averting a potential tragedy.

“We were very scared as we had little children with us. We suffered a lot and sought shelter under a tree, with many getting fever because of the rain. We called them and they came to rescue us in the morning,” shared a stranded tourist.

This incident highlights the risks associated with monsoon trekking in forested hill areas like Gandhamardan.